


Hook, Line, Sinker

by VerdantSyren



Series: The next thing we know [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, F/F, F/M, I love catradora so much, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Really I think all of these characters need hugs after what they've been through, argument, but sometimes we spiral, catra is healing, most of the ships are background except for the main one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:00:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24483163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VerdantSyren/pseuds/VerdantSyren
Summary: It’d started out as an innocent joke, Catra swears it.She doesn’t know why she kept pushing Adora, kept egging her on, kept pushing the buttons that she knows she shouldn’t. Maybe some habits die hard, and this was a cruel example. Her self-destructive behaviour wasn’t going away over night, and that was something that Adora often forgot. Or, the more likely answer, was that she just wanted Adora’s attention.Either way, something inside was gnawing at her, begging her to lure the blonde into a fight. And suddenly, much to Catra’s delight and horror, Adora took the bait.Hook, line, and sinker.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Netossa/Spinnerella (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Series: The next thing we know [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823473
Comments: 65
Kudos: 482





	1. Baited

**Author's Note:**

> I binged all of She Ra with my dad last week and now I'm using fanfic and music to fill the void.

It’d started out as an innocent joke, Catra swears it.

They’d been sitting on their bed, now big enough to fit them both side-by-side, with Melog curled up by Catra’s feet. Adora was reading through some extensive reconstruction plan for a village close to Salineas. Catra was reading a book for fun, something unheard of in the Horde, but she really just wanted Adora to talk to her.

She had made an offhand comment about Adora leaving her in the Horde, alone. And then another about being controlled by Horde Prime. And another about Adora being Shadow Weaver’s favorite. 

She doesn’t know why she kept pushing Adora, kept egging her on, kept pushing the buttons that she knows she shouldn’t. Maybe some habits die hard, and this was a cruel example. Her self-destructive behavior wasn’t going away over night, and that was something that Adora often forgot.

_Or_ , the more likely answer, was that she just wanted Adora’s attention. The savior of Etheria had been busy with reconstruction, which put their quest to bring magic back to the universe on hold indefinitely. In post-victory glory, they forgot about the destruction right on their doorstep. Some destruction from Horde Prime, but much more coming from the original war with the Horde. Destruction that _Catra_ was responsible for.

Either way, something inside was gnawing at her (possibly fueled by loneliness and guilt, both familiar feelings), begging her to lure the blonde into a fight. And suddenly, much to Catra’s delight and horror, Adora took the bait. 

Hook, line, and sinker.

Now, they’re both standing on opposite sides of their bed, the folder about reconstruction splayed open on the sheets by Melog. Adora is trying desperately to restrain herself, but the smirk on her girlfriend’s face sends her into a blind fury.

“You know what, Catra?” she snaps, starting to sort through the papers, “I don’t know what you’re getting at, but could you knock it off?”

“What?” the feline asks, feigning innocence. “I was just trying to make conversation.”

“By bringing up all this stuff that’s in the past? You’re trying--no, you're _ succeeding _ in starting a fight.”

Catra feels a spark in her stomach, this excitement bubbling up. She focuses on that, rather than the screaming of her brain telling her that this is a bad road to go down.

She shifts, and Melog makes a sound of discontent from their spot on the bed. “So what if I am? At least if we’re arguing, you’ll pay attention to me.”

Adora bristles. “Really? I’m working on repairing a mess that  _ you _ helped cause, and you’re acting like a child?”

Catra’s hairs start to stand on end, and Melog growls, lying low on their stomach.

“What is  _ that _ supposed to mean?”

“Well, a lot of the reconstruction that needs to be done are in places where your soldiers set up outposts, or destroyed homes.” Adora narrows her eyes. “I don’t know if you remember or not, but you’re the commander who helped destroy Salineas. My workload is because I’m cleaning up  _ your _ mess.”

For a moment, Catra is silent, and Adora basks in the victory of winning the argument. But that silent celebration is soured when she sees the look on her girlfriend’s face. Heterochromatic eyes wide and ears pressed flat against her head, Catra looks like she was slapped. And Melog, now bright red and stiff, indicates that the comment hit her harder than intended.

Adora feels dread settle in her gut, and she reaches out to touch her girlfriend, but the feline flinches back.

“Catra, I didn’t mean-- ”

The feline doesn’t hear the rest of Adora’s statement; she turns and sprints out of the room, barely able to hear worried cries behind her over the pounding in her ears. She sprints past Glimmer and Bow, almost ramming right into them. The queen reaches out to grab Catra’s arm, but she hisses at the contact and rips away. 

“Catra, what’s going on?”

She doesn’t give them an answer. She just does what she does best.

She runs.

* * *

When Glimmer and Bow enter their friends’ bedroom, they come face-to-face with a heartbroken Adora, clutching the folder in her hand so tightly that it’s crinkling.

“I-I don’t know what happened,” she stammers, tears welling up in her eyes, “One minute, we were just on the bed, a-and then she started bringing up old stuff and I’ve been so stressed and I--”

Glimmer teleports to Adora’s side, wrapping her arms around her friend. Bow isn’t far behind, moving to her other side.

“We just started… fighting,” Adora continues, pressing the heel of her palm to her forehead, “and I… she just wanted me to pay attention to her, but she kept pushing and pushing and I… I basically told her that I wouldn’t have so much to do if she hadn’t been the cause of so much destruction.”

Glimmer gasps at her side, but continues to rub soothing circles along the blonde’s back.

“While that isn’t… technically wrong,” Bow points out softly, “that’s a really low blow, Adora.”

She throws her hands up in the air and sits down on the bed. “I know! I don’t know what happened, I mean, Catra was doing so well with her sessions with Perfuma. She’s been making serious progress, but then she kept throwing the past back in my face and I just couldn’t listen to it anymore--”

“Breathe, Adora,” Glimmer says, trying to comfort her. “You’re both at fault. I’m sure Catra will come back once she’s blown off some steam, and you guys can talk everything out.”

Adora nods, and her best friends stay with her. They talk about some other, more fun things to get her mind off of the argument. Once Mermista was finished with reconstruction, she wanted to have a party. Perfuma and Scorpia had invited them over for a get-together soon. Talking about such frivolous things helps her feel better, but as the hours tick by, she starts to feel unsettled.

But when she falls asleep alone and wakes up the same way, Adora can’t help but feel overwhelmed with worry and guilt.


	2. No Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are all so sweet!! I didn't expect for this to get any attention at all. Thank you so much.

Catra can’t breathe. The air in her lungs stings, and all around her everything is too hot or too cold, but most definitely too much. Every little sound in the Whispering Woods overwhelms her. Too many thoughts swirl in her head.

She leans down, panting, and for a moment she’s sure that she’s going to throw up. The light in the woods is starting to lessen, being replaced with a chilling darkness alleviated by sparks of magic and lightning bugs. From experience, Catra knew that the Whispering Woods could be dangerous, and far more unsettling without the stars to help guide the way. 

She kneels on the ground, wrapping herself up in her own arms. Her claws dig into her arms, and she hates the fact that she needs the pain. Everything hurts.

She fucked everything up.

A terrible voice in the back of her mind, reminiscent of a certain Shadow Weaver, taunts her.

 _Adora is stuck cleaning up your mess_ , it spits out, _just like always_.

As if Catra doesn’t know that this is all her fault. 

The former commander lets out a frustrated scream, digging her nails in deeper. She doesn’t pierce the fur, but it’s tempting.

How could this happen? How could she let this happen? She was doing so well. She’d been getting along with Glitter (she knew her name was Glimmer, but teasing her was just too much fun) and Bow, and the other princesses were talking to her kindly. She’d been trying to help with the reconstruction efforts, but was relegated to tasks inside the castle.

It had been Mermista who advised her to stay in Bright Moon while the world was healing, instead of going out and helping on the front lines.

“We know you’ve changed, but…” she’d trailed off, and now Catra understood what she’d been trying to say.

_But this is still your fault. They don’t trust you. The world is angry at you._

Catra tries to use the breathing exercises that Perfuma taught her. She tries to meditate, tries to understand why she started the stupid fight. She tries to think of happy thoughts. She thinks of Entrapta inviting her to Dryl for some tiny foods with Scorpia. She thinks of hanging out with Scorpia after her meditation sessions with Perfuma, and how the two ex-Horde members would compete in dumb contests that Catra always won (sometimes she let Scorpia win, but she’d die before admitting that). She thinks about kissing Adora and reading with her. She thinks about walking the halls of the Bright Moon Castle, Bow explaining some of the history to her while Glimmer is in her meetings.

All of the thoughts turn sour so, _so_ fast.

She thinks about Entrapta lying on the floor, knocked out by Catra. She thinks about sending her to die on Beast island. She thinks about yelling at Scorpia, and Adora, and just about everyone she’s ever met. She thinks about the Salineas wall crumbling down, and her laughing. She thinks about her siege on Bright Moon. She thinks about how Glimmer was never supposed to be the queen.

She thinks about Adora, having to fix everything Catra has broken. She thinks about how tired the blonde would look when slipping into bed late at night. The endless meetings, files, trips, everything. Just trying to save a world that shouldn’t need saving in the first place.

 _You’re useless,_ that terrible voice speaks again. _All you do is destroy things. Even when they’re trying to help you, you fuck it up. And now you’re all alone. Again._

And really, who else could Catra blame but herself?

* * *

Scorpia is not expecting to see her best friend stumble into her home so late at night, but she is immediately by Catra’s side, comforting the poor feline.

“Perfuma isn’t here,” Scorpia says. She guides her friend towards a seating area and sits down beside her. “She’s preparing for another Princess Alliance meeting with Mermista in Salineas.”

Catra is silent for a moment, just taking in the electric princess’ presence.

They’re sitting in one of the rooms of Scorpia’s castle. Aside from Salineas, the Fright Zone was top priority for reconstruction. Significant progress had been made in returning the area to its former glory as Scorpia’s kingdom, though there was still a lot to do. Perfuma divided her time between Plumeria, Salineas, and the Fright Zone, trying to help the others rebuild while also keeping an eye on her own kingdom. When she would travel to Bright Moon for the Princess Alliance, she would help Catra meditate.

She’ll be so disappointed.

“What happened, Wildcat?” Scorpia asks, tilting her head.

Catra tries her absolute damnedest to not cry in front of Scorpia. It doesn’t work.

“I fucked everything up,” she whispers, a tear forming in the corner of her eye. “I picked a fight with Adora and I... I destroy everything I touch.”

“That’s not true,” Scorpia says adamantly. She’s always eager to defend her friends, even if it’s from themselves. “So what if you marched an army across Etheria and destroyed a bunch of cities and towns? Yeah, you made some really bad decisions and were pretty mean, but you’re getting better! You're trying to fix your mistakes.”

“I just wanted Adora’s attention.” If she’s honest, Catra can’t tell if her statement is referring to her previous actions, or the argument she just had with her girlfriend. It makes her stomach roll knowing that it’s applicable to both. “And I'm not the one fixing my mistakes, _you_ guys are. Maybe I just… I need to get away for awhile. Clear my head.”

As Catra rubs her eyes harshly, stemming the flow of any more tears, Scorpia’s eyes light up. “Oh! Perfuma always says that clearing your head is a good thing, so yeah! We can go on a best friend’s trip, Wildcat!”

“N-no,” Catra says, her ears pressed flat against her head, “I mean that I need to get away from, well, everything. Just me. But I wanted to tell someone so nobody thinks I'm dead or something.”

The other woman deflates, and Catra feels guilty, but after a moment her eyes light up again. “That’s okay! I have to go to the Princess Alliance meeting tomorrow anyways. Do you… do you need to stay the night here?”

Catra nods, and Scorpia goes to start setting up a spare room for her. Before they both head to bed, she wraps the feline up in a big hug.

“I’m glad you came here,” the princess says. “I always love to see you.”

In that moment, Catra feels a range of emotions. She feels joy that Scorpia has a big enough heart to forgive her. She feels anger that she ever mistreated the softie in the first place. But overwhelmingly, she has to face the guilt that she wants to be the best friend that Scorpia deserves, but she doesn’t know how. All of her work with Perfuma, on herself, feels so long forgotten.

Catra wants to say so much, but she knows that her words will never be enough.


	3. The Lure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took kind of long!! I'm travelling currently, so I apologize if these aren't on a schedule. I also apologize if there are any typos or anything. Thank you!!!

The Princess Alliance meeting starts off relatively normal. Everyone is there, save for a certain feline and a certain blonde, but overall things are fine. Spinnerella and Netossa talk amongst themselves, flirting with each other. Perfuma and Scorpia discuss excitedly about the latter visiting Plumeria for a date. Glimmer discusses ideas with Frosta and Mermista on improving security in smaller towns with less defense, while Bow tinkers with a new arrow. Entrapta is there with Emily, occasionally offering an interesting fact about some data she found as of late. 

And then, the doors swing open to reveal a disheveled Adora, looking absolutely miserable, with a sour-looking Melog trailing behind. Glimmer and Bow exchange a sad look.

“She didn’t come back last night?” the Queen asks. Adora nods. The other princesses look between the two, confused.

“What happened? Where’s Catra, anyway?” Mermista questions, her eyes narrowing.

Adora says “I don’t know” at the same time Scorpia says “The outpost by Salineas,” and everyone turns to look at the newest princess.

Bow blinks. “She’s _where_?”

“The outpost by Salineas,” Scorpia repeats, and Adora stiffens. “You know, where the Horde was stationed for a while? She came to the Fright Zone last night and said she was going away and that she needed to clear her head. She seemed really shaken up about your guys’ fight.”

Adora sinks down in her chair and presses her palms against her face. Melog leaves her side to go curl up in a corner, still bristling, while the rest of the princesses glance at one another awkwardly.

“I just… I don’t know what to do about her!” Adora laments.

Mermista crosses her arms, leaning her weight on one foot. “What happened?” She asks, her tone seemingly uninterested, but the curiosity in her eyes betrays her.

“They got into a fight and Adora basically said that everything is Catra’s fault.”

Adora groans while Bow turns to stare blankly at Glimmer for the pinkette's outburst, while the rest of the princesses show a general reaction that can only be described as a collective grimace.

“Well…” Mermista pauses, still working to appear blasé. “Catra _was_ the leading Horde general. Most of the reconstruction we’re doing is the result of her attacks. So I guess you aren’t wrong.”

The rest of the princesses look around awkwardly. Even though most of them had forgiven Catra, including Mermista herself, none of them could forget what she’d done to their home. How _could_ someone ever forget something like that?

“Yeah,” Adora concedes, “I know that. But… she’s been working so hard. She helped save Etheria from Horde Prime, she’s been working on her issues with Perfuma, and she _really_ wants to help rebuild.” She smacks her forehead on the table. “And I threw it all back in her face.”

“Go talk to her then.” They all turn to look at Perfuma, who is sitting in her chair at the table looking as peaceful as ever. “Something that we are all ignoring is that Catra is healing too, and healing… healing is not linear. She’s going to have setbacks like this where she retreats to old habits. The point isn’t to admonish her for it, but to support her.”

After a moment of silence, she adds, “Also, communication is important in general, but especially when it comes to this kind of situation.”

Scorpia smiles widely and wraps her arm around Perfuma’s shoulders, leaning awkwardly against the chair back. “Gosh Perfuma, you’re so smart! And you’re right; Wildcat’s been doing really great with working on herself, but it’s hard to completely change your mindset.”

As Perfuma beams at the praise, Glimmer crosses her arms, leaning against the side of her own chair. “Then how come it was so easy for Adora?”

Her tone isn’t meant to be harsh, but there’s an edge that she regrets as soon as it comes out of her mouth. For the rest of her company, though, it is a valid question.

“Because Adora has always been good,” Entrapta cuts in, not looking up from Emily, for whom she is fixing a wobbly leg. “She’s always been programmed to do what she considers to be right. Even when she was in the Horde, she thought that she was on the good side. Catra, however, has been far more aware that the Horde was ‘evil’ and has been programmed as such. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but she did them anyway, because it suited her interests. It is illogical for beings to go against their programming unless there is something that directly changes it.

“It’s like Emily,” she continues, tapping said bot with her fingertips. “If I programmed Emily to attack everything on sight, I would have to, well, reprogram her if I wanted her to _not_ do that. And that takes time and resources. In this case, Emily is Catra.”

The room is quiet once more, but Entrapta doesn’t seem to notice as she hums to herself.

“That was… really insightful, Entrapta,” Bow murmurs in awe.

“Yeah, well, it’s part of my study of social dynamics. When comparing people to programming, it’s easier for me to explain and understand. And I’ve had ample time to study both Adora _and_ Catra to assess their programming.”

Adora tunes the two out, shifting her attention to Melog, still in the corner of the room. The magical being is tense, staring at Adora with a previously unseen intensity. And then there is a flicker, and Melog’s eyes echo the same heartbreak she had seen the day before.

Adora is sick and tired of breaking Catra’s heart.

Abruptly, the blonde turns to Scorpia. “Where did you say she was again?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope Entrapta isn't too ooc in this, in my mind I can imagine that after the events of Season 5, she'd be more in tuned with other people, but instead of seeing them as humans, she associates them with what she knows best: programming and machines. Hope y'all enjoyed!!


	4. Pulled in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm going to try and update this work on Fridays. It isn't much longer, but getting a schedule will help me write more consistently. This chapter is basically all angst, so have fun with that. Thank you for reading and continuously showing support! It really makes my day.
> 
> Also, the tenses get kind of weird this chapter so I apologize. For some reason this chapter in particular gave me trouble with my tense shifts, so again I'm sorry if it's a bit weird. I tried to fix it best I could.

Catra heads to an old Horde outpost, from when her army had first taken Salineas. It had been the closest they could settle before taking the kingdom in its entirety. The Rebellion has been too preoccupied with Salineas itself, so the outpost has yet to be torn down.

So, when the ever-dutiful Catra arrives there that morning, she promptly begins destroying it herself. 

Her claws carve rough, jagged grooves in the stone of the walls, rip into any linen or cloth that dare to exist, and otherwise snap or destroy everything else. She tears down banners, shreds remaining weapons. With every swipe of her claws, another memory of her time with the Horde comes rushing back with a vengeance. By the end of her rage, the outpost looks like it had been the heart of a battleground, rather than a place to recollect.

Catra’s feet dangle off the edge of the stone wall as she stares out, her gaze fixed on the vast blue of the ocean. Her muscles ache and groan, but as she looks around, a mix of pride and disgust swells within her.

 _Even now_ , Catra thinks, _I destroy everything I touch_.

Part of Catra wonders if Hordak has the same problems as her, or Scorpia. Hordak was the leader of the Horde, the one who started it all, and Scorpia had been a Force Captain. The thought quickly flies out of her head when she realizes that neither of them truly held the same guilt that she did. She was the one who had opened the portal, who had betrayed Entrapta, who had been willing to destroy the world just because _she_ was in pain. She had pulled the strings in the end. It was _her_ fault.

She fiddles with a smoothed stone in her fingers, pressing it into her palm to try and calm her thoughts.

 _“This will give your hands something to do when you’re anxious,”_ Perfuma had told her. Sometimes the stone did help her, but right now, it is just a weight in her hand, and she’s resisting the urge to throw it into the ocean.

To be fair, throwing a rock is probably better than what she used to do, which was dig her claws into her palm until she would bleed.

When she first moved into Bright Moon, she’d done it often. She’d dig her claws into her palms whenever she would feel anxious, or rake them along the sides of her arms until they left scratches. She’d wear gloves to cover her hands, sleeves to hide her arms, and the wounds would eventually go away. But one day, she’d gotten too comfortable, too relaxed, and she’d forgotten the gloves at dinner one night. Glimmer, Bow, and Adora had all seen the marks that lined her palms, and they implored her to talk to Perfuma about it. One worried look from Adora was all it had really taken for Catra to come clean.

So, she did what they’d asked. She stopped digging her claws into her palms, or her arms, or raking them through her growing hair. And that was her getting better.

But now, her fingers twitch with the urge to cause herself some sort of pain, to give herself what she feels she deserves so desperately. She’s already ruined everything else, hasn’t she? All that progress made with Perfuma, absolutely gone.

She’s destroyed enough, she thinks. And so she pushes those thoughts deep down, and focuses on the expanse of water ahead of her.

But her claws still twitch, and no amount of time spent staring at the tranquil body of water seems to stop them.

* * *

Later, Catra tries to sleep on a pile of tattered cloth strewn out in the sun. It’s a fruitless endeavor; nightmares plague her almost constantly.

_She feels lightning. Red hot electricity courses through her veins and she begs whatever power exists to make it stop. Flashes of maroon burst across her vision, and she hears a hideous laugh that has echoed through her head since she was just a child. Shadows surround her, and for a moment, they’re calm and familiar. She feels a sick sense of comfort among them._

_Then, the shadows morph into a figure, and the terrible power that she feels within her body glows green. It races along her fur like bugs trying to delve into the skin, and the laughing she hears morphs into a low, gravelly tone. The shadows peel away, and she sees Horde Prime, smirking down at her. Her lungs feel like they’re full of water, like she’s drowning from the inside. Her body is not her own._

_Finally, everything falls away, and for a moment she’s offered a reprieve._

_But only a moment. And then…_

_Light blue dances in the corners of her vision. Bright, glowing streaks of light, and for a second it’s comforting to her._

_She opens her eyes, and the blue glow of She Ra looms over her. Then the sword comes, a fast slash that tears right through her shoulder. And another, cutting through her thigh. The pain sears through her whole body, but nothing comes close to the agony she feels pierce her heart. Again and again, fear and pain and suffering run rampant around her._

_She Ra kneels down next to her and lifts her head._

_“This is all your fault,” she says, and her eyes flash. When the light dies down, She Ra is Shadow Weaver._

_“You’re a distraction. You’re nothing without Adora.”_

_Shadows surround them both, and Horde Prime stands in front of her once again._

_“We will make you pure. We will make you clean.”_

_The voices swirl and mix, and suddenly they form one._

_“Adora will never need you!” it says. “Nobody will ever need you! You. Are. Worthless.”_

_The voice is powerful, layered on top of the others that spoke before it. It is a voice that has destroyed and remade friendships, commanded and destroyed armies. The voice has forgiven and threatened, laughed and cried, saved and condemned. It has sung the songs of a caged bird, desperate to be free. It has let loose the growl of a cat, swatting at the canary it can never quite reach._

_It is Catra’s voice, the ghost of others echoing around it._

_Even in her nightmares, Catra's voice is highlighted by others. Even in her mind, her voice will never be something that is undoubtedly hers._

When she wakes up, Catra is disoriented. For just a moment, she wonders if they were nightmares or memories. She realizes that they were both.


	5. Caught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, y'all. But this is the last chapter! While I wasn't intending it for it to be the last chapter in the beginning, I just let the story do its thing. However, I decided while I was writing this that I had more ideas in this realm of story, so I've decided that this'll be part one of a series/collection of stories set after the war.
> 
> Thank you all for reading. I am incredibly humbled that so many of you are invested in this story. As always, feedback is forever appreciated. Much love <3

Adora goes to the outpost with Scorpia and Perfuma, hoping that Catra is still there.

When they arrive, they can definitely tell that she  _ was _ there, at least at some point. Everything is destroyed, and nobody can deny the claw marks that highlight the damage.

“It looks like Catra got some of her anger out?” Scorpia offers, and Perfuma sighs.

“It appears so.”

All three of them follow the trail of carnage towards the edge of the outpost that overlooks the sea. Tracks of torn cloth and broken weapons litter the ground, and it makes Adora sick to her stomach. She makes sure to be careful about stepping on anything sharp, and hopes her girlfriend took similar precautions. She notices Scorpia and Perfuma wearing similar faces of worry.

When they get closer to the edge of the outpost, Adora can see Catra a little ways away.

“Give us a moment?” she asks her friends, and they both nod with polite smiles.

She studies Catra as she approaches the wall where she’s stationed herself. The feline is tense, trying to make herself take up as little space as possible. Her ears perk up when she hears footsteps.

“Hey, Adora.”

Her heart clenches at the catchphrase, but the way Catra says it is uncharacteristically lackluster. Her voice is dull, lifeless, and it scares Adora. Her girlfriend doesn’t turn around to give her any further acknowledgement, just focusing on staring out in front of her.

“How did you know it’s me?” she asks, making sure her steps are slow so as to not startle with her approach.

“Who else would it be?” Catra retorts, pulling her knees up to her chest. Her ears lay flat on the top of her head, but twitch as Adora moves closer.

They don’t say anything else until Adora climbs on top of the wall to sit next to her girlfriend. And even then, they sit in silence for a few moments, the tension swirling around them with the salty ocean breeze.

“We should talk,” Adora murmurs, glancing at Catra out of the corner of her eye. Catra curls into herself more.

“I… I know. I messed everything up and I’m sorry.”

“Catra, you didn’t mess everything up. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

The feline turns to stare at her incredulously. “ _ What? _ I’m the one who picked a fight about stuff from the past.”

“No, I know that, but…” Adora looks down, running a hand over her hair pouf. “I shouldn’t have used your past against you. I know how hard you’re trying and I shouldn’t have thrown it in your face.” 

“I deserved it.”

“No,” the blonde replies, reaching out a hand, “you didn’t.”

Catra stares at it, and she knows what Adora is doing. She’s giving her the chance to reach out, allowing for her to make the choice. She isn’t trying to overwhelm her with contact that she may not be ready to handle. 

She takes her hand, entwining their fingers with as much gentleness she can.

“I just feel like a failure,” she finally says, shifting so that her legs dangle off the side of the wall. She moves their hands into her lap, staring at them. “I feel like everything I’ve been working on is ruined. I lost my temper. I just destroy things.”

Adora squeezes her hand. “That’s not the whole truth, Catra. Yeah, you destroy things, but you also build them up. And… yeah, you pushed for the argument, but I should’ve also handled things differently. I haven’t been fair to you.”

Catra gives her a quizzical look. “What are you talking about? You’ve been nothing but amazing.”

She sighs, looking up at the sky. The rolling clouds comfort her, giving her something to focus on while she speaks. “I immediately expected you to be good, no questions asked, after the war ended. I thought that since it was easy for me, it would be easy for you, too.”

She notices Catra’s ears press flat against her head out of the corner of her eye, and turns her focus fully to her. “But Entrapta pointed out to me that you and I are, well, programmed differently. And because of that, you are making a choice every day to go against what you were taught, which is way harder. Every day! Do you know how amazing that is?”

Her girlfriend’s nose scrunches up. “I wouldn’t call ‘choosing not to destroy the world’ an amazing act, Adora.”

“No, but you’re making things better. You’re taking responsibility and trying to make yourself a better person. And… I think both of us forget that sometimes, there are some bumps in the road.”

“Some bad days,” Catra murmurs, and Adora nods. 

“Some bad days,” the latter repeats.

A beat of silence. “So… what do we do about the bad days?”

“We take them with the good,” the blonde says, scooting closer to her girlfriend. Catra leans her head on her shoulder, and her stomach flutters. “We recognize them for what they are, and we decide what to do about them.”

“I assume picking fights is not on the list of ways to deal with them?”

“Safe assumption.”

It’s quiet for a moment. They sit there, content with each other’s presence.

“Wait,” Catra says, interrupting the silence, “you said Entrapta helped you figure that all out?”

Adora smiles as Catra’s eyebrows furrow. “Yeah, she was really insightful, actually. She related us to machines and programming, basically, but it all made sense.”

She blinks, processing that. “Y’know what? I’m proud of her.”

They both laugh, and Catra turns to wrap her arms around Adora. “I… I love you so much, and I’m sorry about everything. The fight, running away from it, everything.”

“I love you too, and I’m also sorry.” She cards her fingers through the other girl’s shorter hair. “And… I don’t mind if you have to step away on one of the bad days, Catra. I’m proud of you for telling Scorpia where you were instead of just running, but next time, don’t be afraid to just tell me.”

Catra looks down, deep in thought. She finally says, “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try.”

Adora scratches behind Catra’s ear which causes her to purr. They stay there, sitting on the wall, locked in an embrace. Adora is strong and warm, locking her in and grounding her.

_ She’s here. She’s not going anywhere. She loves you. You didn’t ruin everything. _

When Scorpia and Perfuma come to find them, they both ‘aww’ at the lovers.

“Wildcat!” Scorpia exclaims, clawing her out of Adora’s grasp for a hug. She squeezes the feeling tight. “I’m so proud of you guys, working on your feelings and all!”

“Scorpia,” Catra wheezes, squirming in the larger woman’s grip, “personal space!”

She can hear Perfuma and Adora snickering around her, and the sound makes her heart swell. She stops trying to push Scorpia off of her, and is content to be left quietly disgruntled. When her best friend finally  _ does _ put her down, Catra is hit with an incredible realization.

She loves her new life, even with its ups and downs. She loves her friends, her newfound family. She loves bickering with Sparkles, discussing history with Arrow Boy, meditating with Perfuma, and helping Scorpia in the Fright Zone. Sure, she may not like all of them at any given time, but the urge to make them proud gives her something to strive for, a positive thing to achieve.

And as for Adora?

Well, what else is there to say? She’s got Catra hook, line, and sinker.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic on this site, so feedback is appreciated! I want to write more fluff at some point because I think we all need some happiness right about now, but this wouldn't get out of my head, so. Hoping to post another chapter soon.  
> Thank you!


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